Heroes of Science: Chemists

A chronological account traces chemistry's evolution from medieval alchemy through the adoption of quantitative methods, discovery and study of gases, the formulation of atomic and dualistic theories, electrochemistry, molecular and colloid studies, and the rise of organic and agricultural chemistry, to late nineteenth-century physical techniques such as spectroscopy. The narrative links scientific advances to concise biographies of the practitioners who advanced measurement, theory, laboratory methods, and applications, emphasizing continuity of ideas, methodological shifts from qualitative to quantitative work, and the expanding use of physical methods in chemical analysis.